The Mi'kmaq Nation (formerly the Aroostook Band of Micmacs) is a US federally recognized tribe of Mi'kmaq people, based in Aroostook County, Maine.[1][3] Their autonym is Ulustuk. Of the 28 bands of Mi'kmaq people, the Mi'kmaq Nation is the only one in the United States. The Mi'kmaq Nation were the first non-US power to sign a treaty with the United States, the Treaty of Watertown, on 6 July 1776.[4]
 | |
 Location of the Mi'kmaq Nation Trust Land | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1,110+[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( Maine) | |
| Languages | |
| English, Mi'kmaq | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism,[2] traditional tribal religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Mi'kmaq people |
The tribe has no reservation but owns 1,350 acres (5.5 km2) of land.[4] The United States Census Bureau listed 1,047 acres (4.236 km2) of trust land in the 2010 United States Census, located at 46°55′13″N 67°53′15″W / 46.92028°N 67.88750°W in the Town of Limestone. An official population of 197 inhabitants was counted on the trust lands. The band is headquartered in Presque Isle. The governing council consists of nine members that serve four-year terms with the tribal chief and vice chief, along with three tribal council seats elected together and four other tribal council seats elected two years later.[5]
They form part of a large Algonquian-speaking nation known as the Mi'kmaq. Their ancestral homeland reaches as far northeast as Newfoundland and historically includes Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, a large part of New Brunswick, and a small part of Quebec in the Chaleurs Bay area.
The band was federally recognized on November 26, 1991, after a long campaign.[6] At the time of federal recognition, the tribe was known as the Aroostook Band of Micmacs.[7] In January 2022, the tribe officially adopted the name Mi'kmaq Nation.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Introduction." Aroostook Band of Micmacs. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ Pritzker, p.435.
- ^ "Mi'kmaq Nation | Presque Isle, ME". Mi'kmaq Nation. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Region 1 Tribal Program" Region 1: EPA New England."
- ^ "The Mi'kmaq Nation Tribal Elections". Mi'kmaq Nation. 2022.
- ^ "About Us". Mi'kmaq Nation. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ Reeves, Rogue (1 February 2021). "Federal Recognition for The Aroostook Band of Micmacs". ArcGIS StoryMaps. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Mi'kmaq Nation". Bureau of Indian Affairs. Retrieved 22 February 2023.